C.J. Stroud became a staple of the NFL as a rookie with the Houston Texans. Now, his former teammate is set to live up to the family name once selected next Thursday night.
Marvin Harrison Jr., one of the top receiving prospects in the upcoming draft, should be a top-five player when all is said and done. He’s been one of college football’s top pass-catchers over the past two years, earning All-American status with two different quarterbacks.
The reigning Offensive Rookie of the Year was asked Monday what piece of advice he’d give Harrison leading up to the finish line. Stroud, who helped the son of the Hall of Fame target thrive as a sophomore, kept it short and sweet.
“Whoever’s up there man: Be smart,” said Stroud. “Don’t be dumb. Don’t think too hard.”
With the draft next week, I asked C.J. Stroud to put his general manager hat on and make the argument for Marvin Harrison Jr. as WR1:
“Whoever up there be smart, dont be dumb. Don’t think too hard.” pic.twitter.com/nJ6uzduOMI
— Chancellor Johnson (@ChancellorTV) April 15, 2024
Harrison, the son of Indianapolis Colts’ All-Pro No. 1 target for Peyton Manning, was dominant in Columbus while helping the Buckeyes make the College Football Playoff in 2022. During his lone season with Stroud, he caught 77 passes for 1,263 yards and 14 touchdowns.
Even after Stroud was drafted No. 2 overall, the production didn’t diminish at Ohio State. Harrison won the Fred Biletnikoff Award, given to the nation’s top receiver, after hauling in 67 passes for 1,211 yards and 14 touchdowns (18.1 yards per catch) between Kyle McCord and Devin Brown.
Stroud, who led the NFL in passing yards per game (274) and touchdown-to-interception ratio (23-5), will always pull for the Scarlett and Red. That doesn’t mean he isn’t a fan of LSU’s Malik Nabers or Washington’s Rome Odunze, but of course, there’s a bit of bias when discussing which receiver deserves to be the first selected.
“Why should it be ‘Marv’? Put on the tape,” Stroud said when asked to make a case for Harrison as the top weapon. “He’s done it from really his freshman year, his true freshman year, to now.
“When you talk about — I think I read something like he’s NFL ready, but other guys have more potential. That makes no sense. Like, what? If you’re ‘NFL ready,’ how is that not potential?”
Harrison did not work out during the pre-draft process and did not meet with reporters at the combine last month in Indianapolis. Stroud, who spent two years with the 6-foot-4 target, said he’d love to play with Harrison again, but he knows it’ll be a few years before that becomes a reality.
“I probably won’t get that opportunity for a while, but I’m super proud of him,” said the quarterback.